


Just Keep Swimming

by FelicityGS



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Autistic Character, Bittersweet, Gen, Human AU, Kid Loki, referenced parental death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-03-03 11:25:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2849225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FelicityGS/pseuds/FelicityGS
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thor's just finished his last day of high school. He goes to pick Loki up from school.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Keep Swimming

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wbss21](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wbss21/gifts).



> IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN. 12 DAYS OF YULE. I... do not have 12 fics this year, alas, but I do have many to post! 
> 
> STORY NOTES:  
> Loki is autistic. That is not the primary focus of the fic, but it is heavily implied.
> 
> The fic is mostly, well, a Thor as big brother character study. Also _bittersweet as hell_.
> 
> GIFT NOTES:  
> this one's for wbss21. They've been reading my work since before I ever moved to AO3, and for the longest time their comments were the reason I continued to cross post over to fanfiction.net, even when I hated doing it. They are, easily, one of the sweetest and most wonderful people I've met because of fandom, and I am so so grateful that they found my work--and more, that they never ever hold back saying the ways they enjoy how people write.
> 
> This one's for you <3 Our fandoms do not deserve your generosity, but at least one of us sure as hell appreciates it.

It is  _finally_ the last day of classes before winter break, which means three things for Thor. First, he's going to be able to go full time at the shop. Second, he's finally _done_ with high school, somehow managing to graduate early despite all the extra work it took. Third, he needs to find Loki a babysitter.

Hopefully cheap.

(Sif refuses to babysit Loki anymore since that last... _incident_. And Thor _had_ held Loki responsible for what he did, and Loki (mostly) understands that he shouldn't do things like that anymore, but _Sif_ had known that Loki can't stand stand the sound of metal on metal and chosen an action movie _anyway_. Sif has been friends with Thor since Loki was  _born_ , and baby sat for him for two years, she should have _known_ better.)

Maybe Volstag at work would be willing to help out. Maybe one of his daughter's needs a job? That might work.

But there's the elementary school; Thor sets the thoughts aside.

The elementary school gets out almost an hour before the high school. Thor doesn't like Loki walking over to the high school to wait--Loki has a terrible sense of direction and it can be a pretty overwhelming walk--and Loki's second grade teacher, Ms. Ollis, has been really understanding, usually keeping Loki with her until Thor can get there to pick his brother up.

Today, though, Loki is sitting outside on the low wall by the front gate, staring at his feet as he kicks them against the wall. The seven-year old is oblivious to everything else going on around him, and it takes Thor a few seconds to pick up the pattern that Loki's kicking against the wall.

(If nothing else, Thor always thinks, Loki will be able to make a career as a percussionist. He's got a knack for rhythm.)

"Hey, Loki," Thor says well before he overshadows Loki and startles him. Loki stops kicking, looking up at his name and squinting a bit at Thor before his usually serious little face breaks into a wide smile.

"Thor!" he says, jumping off his seat. Thor scoops him up in a hug and swings him around in a circle, Loki shrieking all the while and sticky (God, what did he get into?) hands gripping tight to Thor's hoodie before Thor sets him back down. Loki immediately latches onto one of his hands, adjusting his backpack and looking up at Thor expectantly. Thor glances up, sees Ms. Ollis by the school entrance, and smiles at her, glad that she was keeping an eye on Loki even though he was outside.

Thor really, _really_ needs to get her a Christmas present, even if he has to make it himself. Maybe he'll offer her free tuneups for a year if he can get the boss to okay him using the shop space, he _knows_ her car is ancient and it's not like school teachers get paid enough to just go buy a new one.

"Why were you out here?" Thor asks, starting the walk back towards home.

"Nice," Loki says, tilting his head so he can sort of look at Thor without looking at him. Thor squeezes his hand, reassuring, and Loki goes on. "Don't like being inside."

"As long as you don't get sick."

"No!" He lets go of Thor's hand long enough to run in front of him, some sort of demonstration of health--which, considering that Thor used to be on the football team and Loki grew up seeing Thor running if he wasn't sick or injured, might not be totally unreasonable. He's quick to return to Thor's side though, firmly latching onto Thor's hand again.

Thor laughs, swinging their hands between them.

"Okay, okay, you're not sick. Did anything exciting happen today?"

That gets Loki talking. It's all still a bit broken, fragments and words pushed together that maybe don't go together--Thor's overheard the other second graders talking and it makes it how obvious their grasp of language is already well-ahead of Loki's. But Loki's getting better, his worksheet grades showing as much, and Thor thinks some of it might be because Thor pushes him to talk whenever he can. There's no _pressure_ when Loki talks to Thor, not like there is every where else.

"Cressoint?" Loki says somewhere in the middle of talking about his day and full stopping, pointing at the window of the bakery they pass on the way home.

Thor hesitates. He's been careful what money he has, still waiting on the insurance companies to send him the last checks since their parents' deaths nearly three months earlier, and after getting Loki's Christmas presents it's _hard_ to justify spending money anywhere else. Loki's looking up at him but there's a tiny cloud that moves over his face as Thor worries his lip.

Thor can't stand the thought of Loki already realizing how careful he's got to be about money, about _more_ of the world leaving marks on him. Loki's still a _kid_ before anything else.

"Alright. You can have _one_ croissant," Thor says, heading inside the warmth of the bakery.

"Cressoint!" Loki shrieks, stamping his feet a little and pushing up against Thor, not even bothering to contain his excitement. It attracts some attention, but Thor just ignores it because Loki's not hurting anyone. Thor can't help but smile at Loki's enthusiasm, and then smile wider as Loki very nearly shoves his face up against the glass and chews on his thumb, eyes wide with wonder as the baker pulls a croissant out of the case, wrapping it up and handing it over to Thor.

It's worth it. It's totally worth it. One croissant won't break the bank and even if it does, Loki's face is too bright for Thor to regret it.

"One croissant," Thor says, presenting Loki with the treat when they're back outside.

"Thank," Loki says, taking the croissant, carefully pushing the paper down so he can hold it with one hand to eat it before he grabs onto Thor's hand again. He grins up at Thor before taking that first bite and eyes closing in bliss.

The rest of the walk home is quiet, but Thor doesn't mind. Loki's happy, Thor's done with school, and soon, soon, things will get easier between the insurance money and him being able to work full time.

It's not perfect, but it's alright. It's _living_ , and Thor couldn't ask for anything more.


End file.
